Witch-loom.



Patented Sept. 3, |9OI. E. E. BROWN.

WITCH LOOM.

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

WW I (No Medel.)

No. esmas. Patented sept. s, lem.

E. E. BRowN.

WITCH LOOM.

(Application led Nov. b, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ngen/511- NTTn STATES PATENT AFriuli.

ELMER E. BROWN, OF MONT JOY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GEORGE II. BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

WITCH-LOOM.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,869, dated September 3, 1901.

Application tiled November 5, 1898. Serial No. 695,618. (No modelo To a/ZZ whom t may concern: of the loom omitted. Fig. 2 is a view from Be it known that I, ELMER E. BROWN, a the right of Fig. 1, showing portions of the citizen of the United States, residing at Mount loom-frame with other elements of the inven- ,Joy, in the county of Lancaster and State of tion in position. Fig. 3 is a detached side 5 Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and view of the chain-moving ratchet and pawl 55 useful Improvements in Witch-Looms; and I with the upper portion of a jointed connectdo hereby declare the following to be a full, ing-rod in position. Fig. 4 is a View from the clear, and exact description of the invention, left of Fig. 3, showing the ratchet as it apsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to pears on the right-hand end of the chain-mov- Io which it appertains to make and use the same. ing shaft with the lower portion of the con- 6o This invention relates to improvements in meeting-rod detached from its crank-arm. a loom of that class known to the trade as the Fig. 5 is a view of the right-hand end of the witch-loom, in which the mechanism of the side removed from Fig. l and as it appears witch or head raises and lowers the frames of viewed from the left in Fig. 2, showing parts 15 the harness, carrying the warp-threads into thereto attached with the upper portion of 65 the required positions to be crossed by the the chain in position. Fig. 6 is a top view of shuttles, carrying the woef-threads by a posithe upper knife detached from Figs. l and 2;

tive motion, draw or pull, and without the use and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan of the lower of springs. knife, also detached from Figs. 1 and 2.

zo The object of the invention is to'provide It will here be remarked that the elements 7o means whereby the harness-moving mechanwith which the purposes of the invention are ism is given a very slow motion while the loom accomplished are, first, the two knives; secis running at its regular or normal rate of ond, the two gear-wheels; third, the jointed speed, with positive'up and down pulls ou the connecting-rods; fourth, the outer end crank- 25 harness-frames at practically halt' the rate of arm, and, fifth, the three-positioned chain, all 75 speed of the harness-moving mechanism now in combination with certain elements now known to the trade and adapted to light or known to the trade and which will iirst be heavy work and to any number of harness, described. yielding, rst, less strain on the warp-threads In the drawings is shown in dotted and full 3o by reason of said slow motion; second, inlines the upperportion of the right-hand end 8o creased production' of the loom with the same post A of a loom-frame of ordinary or wellstrain on the warp-threads as under existing known construction, said post having a crossharness-moving mechanisms having positive rail d, a rearwardly-projecting side lug ct', np and down pulls; third, greatly-reduced and two upwardly-projecting side standards 3 5 wear and tear to the working parts, and, CL2 d2. The main shaft A', which drives the 8 5 fourth, lessened liabilityto their getting out loom, is journaled in bearings supported by of order. the cross-rail a, and a rail similar thereto at The elements or' the invention will s evertheleft-haud end of the loom. The construcally and at large appear in the following detion of the loom being so well known and 4o scription,and they will be separately and colforming no part vof the invention, it was 9o lectively set forth in the claims. deemed sufficient to illustrate only such parts The purposes of the invention are attained or portions thereof as serve to support and by the mechanism and devices illustrated operate the elements of the invention. in the accompanying drawings, with similar Supported by the end post A is the witch 45 reference characters to designate like parts or loom head B, which has the downwardly- 95 throughout the several views, in whichprojecting arms b of its sides Z2 secured to the Figure l is a side elevation of harness-movupper ends of the standards a2 by bolts and ing mechanism embodying some of the elenuts h2. The sides are provided at their ments of the invention with the near side of right-hand ends with forwardly-projecting 5o the head-framework removed and the frame arms D3, rearward thereof and through their 10o bodies with oblong guide-slots b4 b5, further rearward in their upper edges with journalbearin gs b, and still further rearward in their lower edges with bearing-lugs 197, while near to the outer ends of the arms b3 and against their inner surfaces are adjustably secured by bolts, washers, and nuts the upper ends of the hangers bs, having at their lower ends shaft-bearings b9. The sides are bound together by having placed between them oblong rectangular blocks C, having oblong openings,with upper and lower guide-grooves indicated by dotted lines, through their bodies and secured in place by bolts c passed through the sides and tapped into the ends of the blocks. A grate D, with open spaces between its bars d, is placed in position forwardly of the slots b4 b5 and secured in place by the headed screws d@ passed through side projecting lugs d2 and tapped into the upper edges of the arms b3 at their rearward ends, while below in thecentral portion of the head is placed a grate D', with bars d3, free at their upper ends, and said grate is secured in position by nuts and bolts d4, passed through the upper ends of its side bars and the sides b.

Movable back and forth in the guide-grooves of the blocks C are plates or straps E, having widened and sloping centers with triangular upward projections, rounded lower ones, and downwardly and rearwardly inclined camslots e, with oppositely disposed and rounded ends through said centers. To the upper ends of said upward projections are pivoted by flat-headed rivet-pins e the rear ends of running strips E, with their forward ends passing through the openings of the grate D, and said strips are cut away underneath, forming narrow fingers e2 to ride on thev tops of upwardly-projecting lift-lugs c3 at the forward ends of lift-arms E2, having their forward extremities lbetween the bars of said grate and their rearward ends journaled onto a rod or shaft E3, having its extremities secured into the forward or outer ends of the arms b3. The bodies of said strips E in their central portionsV have in their under edges oblong notches or recesses e4, with undercut ends, and on their upper edges dovetailed upward projections or lugs c5, with undercut forward and rearward edges.

In the rearward portion of the head are placed angle-levers F, having arms ff practically ninety degrees apart and pivoted at the apices of the angles on a shaft or rod F', having its extremities secured into the bearing-lugs b", said levers rocking freely back and forth thereon, with their armsfforwardly extending and passing through the spaces between the bars of the grate D and their arms j" upwardly projecting and held laterally in place between T -keepers F2, having their lower ends rigidly secured to the body of said shaft. At prescribed points the upper edges of the arms f are provided with upwardlyprojecting lugs f2, carrying side rolls f3 to en- Genese gage in the cam-slots c, causing the angleleversv to rock backwardly and forwardly, according to the backward and forward motion of the straps E, and in the upper and forward edges of these arms in their respective outer end portions are formed notches or hook-recesses f4 to be engaged by links or hooks at the forward and upper ends of the straps or cords F3, indicated by dotted lines, and their other ends secured, respectively, to the upper and lower edges of the harness-frames, (not shown in the drawings,) drawing the harness upwardly and downwardly with a positive pull, according as the straps E have a forward or a backward motion, and without the use of springs to return said harness to normal positions.

In the bearings b is journaled a rock-shaft i G, with its extremities projecting beyond said bearings. To the projecting ends of the shaft are rigidly secured the centers of rock-arms G', having at their outer ends pivot-pins g, having pivoted thereto the forward ends of connecting-rods G2, which have their rearward ends pivoted to the outer or trunnion ends of guide-blocks, forming parts of knives, yet to be described, said blocks moving back and forth in the guide-slots b4 b5, while to one end of the rock-shaft G, as the right-hand end in Fig. 2, is rigidly secured the hub end of a lever or crank arm G3, having at its free end a crank-pin g to reciprocate thereby said crank-arm, rock said shaft, and move the mechanism of the head.

In the bearings b9 is journaled a shaft H, with its extremities h 7?. projecting outwardly beyond the bearings, carrying on its body between said bearings a spool H', with sprockets h2 at it sends to support and move a chain, yet to be described, having on its end h a ratchet H2, adapted to intermittently rotate said shaft, and on its end h a wheel H3, with rounded recesses ha between rounded projections h4 on'its periphery. Onto a stud projecting from the adjacent side of the head and through the juncture of its arms is pivoted an angle-lever H4, having the free end of its arm h5 rounded to ride over said projections h4 and engage in said recesses h3, the former permitting rotation to said wheel H3 and the latter holding it to enable said ratchet-pawl to engage a succeeding tooth, while a coiled spring H5, having one end secured to the free end of its arm h6 and its other end secured to the same side of the head, allows said rotation and compels said holding.

With the exception of the lugs c5, projecting upwardly from the upper edges of the running strips E', no new elements have so far been described, and in place of said lugsv said strips at thesepoints were provided with recesses similar to the oblong recesses or notches c4, described and shown as being in their lower edges. The knives adapted to enter said notches heretofore had tapering side edges set in parallel planes to engage IOO IIO

to the free or dropping edges of only one end of said notches, either forwardly or backwardly and alternately above and below, requiring complete reciprocation, once up and once down, to the lever-arm G3, rocking the shaft G once backwardly and once forwardly to place the harness in proper positions for the Woof-threads to cross, and one of the rock-arms Gr' was provided with an intermediate stud on either side of the center thereof, .whereby a connecting-rod gave to the ratchet the required motion to move the chain, which was two-positioned only, having only lifts and drops. Now for the purposes of the invention a knife I, having a blade with upwardly and outwardly sloping side edges t', end guide-blocks t" flush with the top face of the blade, and trunnions i2 projecting from the outer ends of the blocks, is placed transversely across the body of the head, the blade adapted to enter the notches e4, the edges t' to engage against the ends of the notches, the blocks t" movable back and forth in the lower guide-slots b5, and the trunnions t2 pivoted to the rearward ends of the lower connecting-rods G2, whereby said knife is moved back and forth in said slots, giving below the required motion to the running strips E. To give the required motion above to said running strips E', is placed transversely across the body of the head a knife K, comprising a rod or bar 7c passing through the upper guide-slots b4, having guide blocks or portions k' to engage against the upper and lower faces of said slots, and trunnions k2 projecting from the outer ends of said blocks and to which are pivoted the rearward ends of the upper connecting-rods G2, whereby said bar is moved back and forth in said slots. Within and adjacent to the sides of the head and rigidly secured to the top of the bar, as by bolts and nuts 7c3, are

forwardly and rearwardly disposed cross or f side pieces K, with downwardly-projecting rounded ends, the forward one being lower than the rearward one, said ends having practically at their centers pivot-orifices, into which are pivoted the trunnions 7a4, projecting sidewise from the outer ends of knifeblades K2 and adjacent to their respective forward and rearward side edges, so that their adjacent or inner edges, from their own weight or by gravitation, will have a tendency to drop or swing downwardly, one blade being on each side of the bar 7c. Projecting upwardly from the upper faces and adjacent the knifeblades are tines or fingers ki, adapted to impinge against the ends of plates K3, having oblong slots therein through which pass studs projecting upwardly from said bar 7c, with nuts k6 on their threaded ends and screwed home thereon, which studs serve to secure said plates so as to be backwardly and forwardly adjustable. These plates regulate the drop of the free edges of the knife-blades, so as to insure the engagement of said edges with the projections e5 of the running strips E', with which they contact, thus giving` to said strips the required backward and forward motion.

It will here be observed that the loom-head here shown is fitted with five sets of anglelevers operating five sets of harness and with five sets of running strips to move them. All are so arranged that the first and fourth, fourth and second, second and fifth, fifth and third, third and rst, and so on, will move together, the first being in down or dropped position, the second in a position of rest, and the third in an up or raised position, while the fourth and fifth are in positions of rest awaiting their turns, with their respective arms carrying the lift-lugs in the same positions, and the chain is provided with drop, rest, and lift rolls, so that when it is moved interval by interval by the ratchet secured to its shaft the above motions will obtain and in the order named.

As shown in the drawings, a chain L is mounted on the sprocketed ends of the spool H. Said chain is composed of the requisite number of links, ten in this instance, comprising rods or shafts Z, having their extremities pivoted through the ends of link-straps Z and at a distance apart equal to the pitch of the sprocket-teeth, while adjacent to the straps and loosely mounted on the rods are rollers Z2, adapted to engage said sprocketteeth, moving said chain. Between these rollers, also loosely mounted on the rods, but in separate series, are lift, drop, and rest rolls of dierent diameters, respectively indicated by L' L2 L3, the first two arranged in pairs in opposite positions in the chain, with three of the last on each side between them, but on succeeding pairs of said rods in the order of rotation. It will here be remarked that the chain may have any width, length of rods Z, according to the depths of the head, which depth is determined by the number of harness-frames to be moved by the mechanism placed therein, that the rolls L L2 L3, being loosely mounted on said rods, are interchangeable thereon, and their arrangement, serial or otherwise, is determined by the style of the weave or the order in which the harness-frames are to be moved, and that the length of said chain, the number of rods or links, is also determined by the number of harness or the style of the weave.

Mounted on the shaft A, adjacent to the outer face of the cross-rail a and rigidly secured to said shaft, is a spur gear-wheel M, having any approved diameter, whose teeth fm intermesh with the' teeth m' of a gear-wheel M', journaled onto astud projecting from the adjacent face of the side lug a', said wheel M having twice the diameter and double the number of teeth, whereby two revolutions of the former wheel equal one of the latter. Onto a crank-pin 'm2, projecting from the outer face of the wheel M and at a pre- IIO scribed radial distance from its center, is pivoted the lower end of a connecting-rod M2, with its upper end pivoted to the'crank-pin g' to reciprocate the crank-arm Gr3 as said wheel revolves, said connecting-rod having a joint m3 near its upper end, allowing the lower end of said rod to conform to the motion of said revolving wheel. It will here be seen that each revolution of the wheel M', by means of said connecting-rod, completely reciprocates the lever-arm G2, once raising and again lowering it.

To the rearward end of the loom-shaft A' is rigidly secured a crank-arm N, having at its free end a crank-pin n, onto which is pivoted the lower end of a connecting-rod N', with its upper end pivoted to the outer end of the swinging arm of the ratchet H2 to reciprocate said ratchet, said rod having near its upper end a pivot-joint n' and its lower end inwardly bent, whereby it accommodates itself to the motion of said ratchet and crank arm, giving to the ratchet two reciprocations, while the lever-arm G2 has but one, moving the chain twice to each drop and lift of a harness-frame.

Now the several elements hereinbefore described and occupying the respective positions indicated in the drawings, the following observations will be noted: First, that by means of the crank-arm N, the connectingrod N', and the ratchet H2 each revolution of the driving-shaft A' moves the chain L to the extent of one link, bringing a different set of rolls L' L2 L3 in position underneath the lift-arms E2; second, that the rolls L' will lift the arms E2 with their lugs e2 and raise the fingers e2 of the strips E' to their highest points, bringing the top projections c5 of said strips into positions to be engaged by the blades of the knife K; third, that the rolls L2 will drop the arms E2 with their lugs c3 and carry the ngers e2 of the strips E to their lowest points, bringing the under edge notches e4 of said strips into positions to be engaged by the edges of the knife I; fourth, that the rollsL3 will lift the arms E2 with their lugs e2 and raise the fingers e2 of the strips E' to their intermediate points, bringing the top projections c5, as well as the under edge notches e4 of said strips, into positions not to be engaged by the edges of either knife; fth, that while the strips E' are in the highest positions the blades of the knife K, engaging their top projections e5, said strips'will be moved back and forth by said knife; sixth, that while the strips E' are in the lowest positions the blades of the knife I, engaging their under edge notches e4, said strips will be moved forth and back by said knife; seventh, that while the strips E are -in the intermediate positions,the knife-blades engaging neither the top projections e5 nor the under edge notches e4, said strips will not be moved either way, remaining stationary;

eighth,that by means of the gear-wheels M M', having intermeshing teeth in the ratio of one to two, and the connecting-rod M2, with the lever-arm G3 and the other connection hereinbefore shown, each revolution of the driving-shaft A' changes the positions of the required angle-levers F, drawing up their down harness-frames and down their up ones, each with a positive pull on their respective straps F3; ninth, that the successive revolutions of the driving-shaft A' will continue these positive pulls upon the harness-straps up on the down ones and down on those which are up, and, tenth, that by reason of these several movements the mechanism of the loom-head performs its functions, raising and lowering the desired harness to the required positions at one-half the rate of speed heretofore required and without the use of returningsprings.

Having now described the invention and ascertained and set forth the manner in which it is performed, what is considered new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in a loom-head of the character described and having oscillating angle-levers adapted to raise and lower the warp-harness into positions for the woof by positive pulls on the frames of said harness, plates moving back and forth to oscillate said angle-levers, slide-strips having their rear ends pivoted thereto to move said plates, and means provided to raise and lower and hold in intermediate positions the forward ends of the slide-strips, said slide-strips having dovetail projections on their upper edges and oblong notches with dovetail ends in their lower ones, a two-bladed knife having a transverse bar with blocks moving back and forth in guide-slots through the sides of the head, with cross-pieces secured to the top of said bar toward the ends thereof, and oppositelydisposed wing-blades having the ends of their outer or extreme edges pivoted into the sides of said cross pieces adjacent to the ends thereof, and their inner or adjacent edges adapted to engage against said upper edge projections, and another two edged knife having oppositely-disposed and inclined sides with blocks moving back and forth in guideslots also through the sides of the head, said inclined sides adapted to engage in said lower edge notches, with mechanism provided to simultaneously move said knives in opposite directions, all substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a loom-head of the character described, having the angle-levers, F; the bars, E, to oscillate said levers; the slide-strips, E', pivoted to said bars, and having lthe lower edge notches, e4, and the upper edge dovetail projections, e5, and the two-edged knife, I, to engage in said notches, e2; the wing-bladed knife, K, having the transverse bar, 7c, with the slide-blocks, 7o', and the pivot-trunnions,

IOO

IIO

k2; the cross-blocks, K', secured to thetop of therewith; al1 substantially as described and said bar, k; the Wing-blades, K2, with their for the purpose herenbefore set forth. 1o end pivot-lugs, 7a4, journaled through said In testimony whereof I a'x my signature cross-blocks, K', and the upwardly-projeotin presence of two Witnesses.

5 ing tines or fingers, 755, adjacent to the drop ELMER E. BROVN.

edges of the Wing-blades; the slotted plates, Vtnesses: K3, and the screws, Zz, through the slots of FRED. I). MENTZER, said plates, with the times, ki", contacting CHAS. R. KLINE. 

